


this is for the lions, living in the wiry, broke-down frames of my friends’ bodies

by bratlas



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, brief angst, bros (tm) jaehyun and jeno, donghyuck’s rly Anxious, kinda fluffy at parts, mostly Panicked Gayness, renjun and jaemin are Big Gay for jeno, some brief racist/transphobic language, trans boy!jisung
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-30 20:48:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13959726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bratlas/pseuds/bratlas
Summary: No one warns you that relationships are this weird.





	this is for the lions, living in the wiry, broke-down frames of my friends’ bodies

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first nct fic...........i wrote it on a whim in like 3-4 days so it’s unbeta’ed and also probably just missing some interesting plot points but whatever i rly enjoyed writing it. also pls no one come for me for writing about the dreamies i’m lit the same age as them i just wanted some Soft Gay Content :O

Mark hits his head against the table, groaning lowly. Mark does this for a few seconds, until he receives a flick to the ear.

  
“Excuse me. I need to wipe this table. Also, you’re annoying me.” Sicheng flicks some of his gross table rag water at Mark, who sputters disgustedly.

  
“Was that really necessary? That shit is nasty.” Mark sits back in his chair, crossing his arms sulkily. Sicheng wipes the tabletop off. “Yes, because you’re killing the vibe with your pity party. This is what you get for dating someone still in high school.”

  
“Okay, first of all, I’m literally only a year older than him, I just graduated and he’s graduating this year. Second of all, we’ve been dating since before I graduated so that’s _not_ the reason we have relationship problems,” Mark grumbles, adjusting his beanie so it’s pulled low over his forehead and ears. Sighing, Sicheng pulls out the chair across from Mark and sits down.

  
“Dude, I’m not, like, a relationship expert or anything, but I do know that if shit’s meant to be, it’ll work out in the end. You guys will learn to communicate if you really wanna stay together or whatever.” Sicheng drops his rag into the bucket of water he’d set down on the floor beside the table.

  
“Donghyuck’s got a lot of shit on his plate right now, too. I know your high school career was easy because you’re a slacker, no offense–“ Sicheng laughs a little at Mark’s affronted expression, and continues, “–but you’ve told me he’s trying to get into Cornell or whatever, right? His senior year is probably stressful.”

  
“Yeah, you’re right.” Mark sighs. “I’m not even mad that we aren’t spending that much time together, I get that he’s busy. He just won’t let me try to help when he’s all anxious about shit and doesn’t tell me anything.”

  
“I don’t know what to tell you, dude. Relationships are weird.” Sicheng, eyes sympathetic, gets to his feet once more and goes back to wiping tables. At least he doesn’t make Mark pay for his coffee.

  
Relationships are weird. No kidding.

 

 

 

 

“Have you tried, like, talking to your boyfriend about this shit? Just a suggestion.” Jeno quirks an eyebrow at Donghyuck, lazily dribbling the basketball and lobbing it towards the goal.

  
“You throw like a fucking girl,” comments one of the boys from a neighboring group when the ball bounces off of the backboard. Jeno catches the basketball, fixes the boy with a blank stare.

  
“It’s fucking gym class, Brick. Relax.”

  
“My name’s Brock.”

  
“Same difference. Also, haven’t you been benched the whole season?” Jeno dribbles the basketball as he had been before. Donghyuck checks his phone when the gym teacher isn’t paying attention. There’s one message from Mark.

 

ʰᴱ’ˢ ᵃ ᵛᴱʳʸ ˢᵐᴬᴸᴸ ᵐᴬⁿ: hey I love you like you know you can talk to me about anything right

 

Donghyuck starts to answer, but thinks better of it and shoves his phone back into his hoodie pocket. Jeno’s gone back to trying (and failing) to make a basket, eventually giving up and stepping closer to Donghyuck.

  
“Dude, get Mark to pick us up after this block. I don’t want to to go to stats.” Jeno tips his head back and groans. Donghyuck rolls his eyes.

  
“Listen, I can’t afford to miss any more AP Physics. I have no idea what I’m doing in that class. Also, if my parents find out I skipped I will be murdered and buried in the backyard with daisies planted over my grave.” Donghyuck folds his arms and raises an eyebrow at Jeno.

  
“Ugh, how dare you want to go somewhere in life and do well in school,” Jeno complains, though sarcasm drips from his tone now, and a grin is spreading across his face. “Your parents are anal, though. Mine are just glad when I show up to school.”

  
“That’s because the bar is so low for you after Jaehyun tired them out.”

  
“Don’t talk about my brother.”

  
“Why not?” Donghyuck grins. “He’s hot.”

  
“Hyuck, fucking stop–“

 

 

“Donghyuck’s a loser and doesn’t want to skip with me. You down?” Jeno leans against the wall beside the poster Renjun is hanging up. It’s advertising the school’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance, something Renjun somehow managed to land creative direction of right from the start in freshman year. Jeno thinks it had something to do with Renjun’s charm. Jeno grins fondly.

  
“Yeah, Jaemin ‘n I have a study hall last block anyways. It’s cold though, do we have a ride or are we walking?”

  
“I bullied Mark until he agreed to drop us off in my neighborhood,” Jeno mumbles, glancing at his phone screen.

 

that canadian dude: youre an asshole  
also i’ll be there around 12:50 be ready fuckers

 

Renjun grins, fixing one last piece of tape to hold the poster in place and shoving the tape roll back into his backpack. He slips his arms through the straps right as the bell rings. The clock reads 12:45.

  
“Our free period’s right by that hall exit at the student lot, tell him to pull around the north wing,” Renjun tells Jeno, leading the taller with one hand fisted in his sweatshirt sleeve. Renjun catches Jaemin heading towards the classroom with his free hand, beaming.

  
“We’re ditching, c’mon,” Renjun informs Jaemin in an undertone. Jaemin grins. “Sweet, I didn’t have anything to do anyways.”

  
The three boys continue on right out through the double doors at the end of the hall. Renjun lets go of Jeno and Jaemin’s sleeves, holding onto the straps of his backpack loosely instead. Jeno shoots Mark a text telling the elder where to pick them up. Just a few minutes later, Mark’s old, beaten-up car pulls up to the sidewalk where they’re waiting.

  
“Your car smells the same way Jaehyun’s does. Like drugs and regret,” Jeno comments as he climbs into the front seat, holding his backpack in his lap. Mark waits until Renjun and Jaemin are in the backseat to drive away.

  
“Yeah, that’s what adulthood consists of these days. Also being really broke all the time.” Mark drums his fingers on the steering wheel. “Where’s your neighborhood?”

  
“Drive to the poor people side of town, just let us out at the Orangewood trailer park.” Jeno props his feet up on Mark’s dashboard. “You need to take Donghyuck on a date or something. He’s getting all wound tight again.”

  
“I’ve been trying to talk to him,” groans Mark, coming to a stop at a red light and leaning his head on the steering wheel for just a moment. “He keeps insisting everything’s fine.”

  
“He’s frustrating like that, yeah. Hyuck doesn’t want you to worry ‘bout him.” Jeno bites on his thumbnail, eyes ahead on the road. The light turns green, and Mark resumes driving in silence for just a moment before Jeno opens his mouth again.

  
“Hey, since you’re over eighteen, will you buy me cigarettes?”

  
“No. You realize Donghyuck would literally kill me if he ever found out I bought cigarettes for you.”

  
“You don’t need to be fucking smoking anyways,” chimes Renjun from the backseat, a stern expression on his face. Jeno bites back some smartass remark and stares out the window.

  
“You’re about to miss the turn, chauffeur.”

  
Mark reaches over and slaps blindly at Jeno as he turns down the road to the younger’s neighborhood, and Jeno yelps, laughing in surprise.

  
“So fuck my life, huh? Hands on the wheel!” Jeno pushes Mark’s hand away.

  
“You’re such a dickhead,” Mark laughs. Jeno grins. “I know, it’s a miracle I’m friends with your boyfriend, right?”

  
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. Which place is yours?” Mark slows down to turn into Jeno’s neighborhood.

  
“It’s way in the back, just let us out here.” Jeno reaches for his door handle, but Mark slaps at him again, huffing impatiently. “It’s cold, asshole, I’m trying to do you favor.”

  
“Fine. Turn in here and go all the way down to the end of the street, then I’ll tell you where to go from there.”

 

 

Jaemin wants to pretend he doesn’t notice Renjun watching Jeno wrestling his hoodie off. Jaemin’s failing, because he’s too distracted himself. Jeno’s shirt has ridden up with his hoodie as he pulls it over his head, putting his lean back on display.

  
“Can one of you help me? My necklace is caught somewhere on my hoodie.” Jeno’s voice is muffled, as he’s stuck with his sweatshirt halfway over his head. Jaemin chooses to laugh, while Renjun gets to his feet to help. He gently untangles the dog tags Jeno always wears from the string on the taller’s hoodie and Jeno finally frees himself, pulling his t-shirt back down and tucking the dog tags beneath his collar. Renjun and Jaemin know they belonged to Jeno’s father, but he’s never told them any more than that, and neither boy wants to ask.

  
“Thank.” Jeno grins at Renjun, tosses his sweatshirt on the couch. “You losers up for Super Smash Bros?”

  
Eventually, they walk from Jeno’s to Donghyuck’s, meeting the other when he gets off of the bus as they usually do.

  
“You guys seriously still walked here when it’s this cold out?” Donghyuck stammers as he unlocks his front door, hurries into his house. The other three follow, mumbling varying levels of affirmation.

  
“Idiots. Want hot chocolate?”

  
“Coffee?” Jeno sits heavily at Donghyuck’s table, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to warm them up. Renjun steps over to him, holding Jeno’s hands in between his own.

  
“Is coffee what you need at three in the afternoon?” Donghyuck questions, starting the coffee maker anyways. “Ren. Nana. Do you guys want hot chocolate or not.”

  
“Yes, Hyuck, _god_. That shouldn’t even be a question,” Jaemin answers, sitting on the kitchen floor to pet Donghyuck’s cat. Renjun hums his own affirmation, squeezing Jeno’s hands.

  
“You’re freezing,” he comments. Jeno isn’t sure why his heart picks up a little and shrugs it off, holding one of his hands up to Renjun’s. “Don’t have gloves.”

  
“It’s the middle of winter and you don’t have gloves?”

  
“Yeah.” Jeno smiles and ruffles Renjun’s hair when the other frowns at him. “It’s fine. My fingers are all intact, so I think I’ll be fine.”

  
“Dude, you need to talk to your boyfriend,” Jeno addresses Donghyuck, slouching down in his seat. “He’s worried about you because you don’t ever tell him what’s wrong.”

  
“I’m working on it,” Donghyuck mumbles, warming up milk for the hot chocolate. The coffee maker gurgles as it runs, and Jeno gets to his feet, placing his hands on Renjun’s shoulders to pass by the shorter and go get his coffee. Renjun hopes his face isn’t as red as it feels.

  
“By working on it do you mean you’re thinking about telling him what’s stressing you out and then not doing it because you’re anxious?” Jeno reaches into a cabinet for mugs, handing three to Donghyuck.

  
“Thanks. And shut up, I don’t need you calling me out. I don’t know how to tell him shit, I’ve never been in a serious relationship before. He texted me before saying I could talk to him and all–“

  
“Oh my god, then just dump your baggage on him already. The small man wants to help.” Jeno leans back against the kitchen counter, bouncing his own empty mug from hand to hand as he waits on the coffeepot to fill. Donghyuck whines.

  
“See, it sounds messy if you call it dumping my baggage on him. No one wants to do that, I don’t want to annoy him. He’s my boyfriend, not my therap–“

  
“Hyuck, I love you, but you’re truly the most anxious human I have ever met. It’s fine.” Jeno sets his mug down and gently shakes Donghyuck by his shoulders. “Part of your boyfriend’s job is to listen to what may be upsetting you and be supportive and shit. It’s how relationships work.”

  
“Since when were you an expert on relationships?”

  
“I’m not? This is like, the bare minimum I’m talking about. Support your person or whatever. Try to help when they’re upset. Don’t fuckin’ hit them.” Jeno shrugs, dropping his hands back to his sides. The coffee maker beeps and he picks his mug back up, fills it with coffee.

  
“If you drink that coffee black I will kick you out right now. This is a gay household and we only drink coffee when there’s so much cream and sugar in it you can’t taste the coffee anymore.” Donghyuck eyes Jeno suspiciously. Jeno sips the coffee in return.

  
“I haven’t eaten, like, all day, I’m gonna get a caffeine shock,” chuckles Jeno. Donghyuck rubs his temples. Renjun shares a look with Jaemin, and Jeno huffs a little.

  
“Don’t look at each other like that. I’m allowed to be self-destructive if I want,” he mumbles, peering down into his coffee.

  
“Why, though? Eat something,” sighs Donghyuck, opening up his freezer and taking out some frozen waffles to throw into the toaster.

  
“I’ve been out of lunch money at school for like, three months, and I have more important shit to put my own money towards.” Jeno sits on Donghyuck’s counter, shoulders slumping.

  
“What about your parents? Your mom won’t even give you, like, ten bucks to put in your account?”

  
“That’s funny.” Jeno doesn’t laugh, just stares back at Donghyuck. Point taken, Donghyuck busies himself with turning on the toaster oven and putting a couple of waffles in.

  
“I’ll annoy Jaehyun to get dinner after work, it’s no big,” Jeno sighs. Setting his mug to the side, he hops down from the counter and shuffles out of the kitchen to the bathroom.

  
“Fucker,” grumbles Renjun, picking at dry skin around his thumb. He feels Jaemin’s eyes on him, but nothing more is said.

  
Falling asleep in Donghyuck’s living room is more common of an occurrence than Renjun thinks it probably should be, but he just attributes it to all of them being depressed and the winter taking the sun out of the sky far too early in the day. Also, Donghyuck has a remarkably large and comfortable couch.

  
Renjun isn’t the only one waking up. Jeno’s pulling his sweatshirt over his head, disheveled hair sticking out from under the hood.

  
“You have work?” Renjun asks softly. Jeno jumps, not having noticed that the other was awake. He hums a little, nods his head.

  
“I’ll walk with you,” offers Renjun. Jeno carefully disentangles himself from Jaemin, standing and stretching. “It’s too cold out, just let me walk you home.”

 

 

When Jeno shrugs off his old winter jacket, drapes it around Renjun’s shoulders, Renjun begins to protest. Before he can even do so, Jeno shushes him.

  
“I can hear your fuckin’ t-teeth chattering, Ren,” Jeno shoves his hands into his sweatshirt pocket, keeping his eyes ahead. “You can give it back when we get to your house.”

  
The remainder of the trek to Renjun’s is quiet, save for the wind whistling through skeletonized trees, the crunch of snow beneath their shoes. Jeno occasionally sniffles from the cold, and it only reminds Renjun of the hand-me-down parka currently wrapped around his shoulders.

  
“Are you sure I can’t walk you to work?” Renjun asks when they reach his front doorstep, holding Jeno’s jacket back out to him. As Jeno slips it back on, he shakes his head. “Told you, it’s cold out, small man. Go get warm.”

  
“Be safe,” Renjun insists gently. Jeno smiles. “Yeah, yeah, see you tomorrow.”

  
Watching Jeno walk away, Renjun’s stomach turns, though not in a way that’s entirely unpleasant. It’s a funny, warm feeling that spreads up through his chest, heats his cheeks. When Renjun checks his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he’s blushing.

  
“Shit,” breathes Renjun, running one hand through his hair.

 

 

 

 

By the time Donghyuck wakes up, everyone else has gone home. There’s a note containing nothing but a smiley face and a drawing of a dick, but when Donghyuck checks his phone, the groupchat is definitely active, reassuring him his stupid friends all made it home safe.

  
Crumpling up the note and tossing it in the trash, Donghyuck rubs his eyes with his free hand and squints at his mother’s schedule that’s hung up on the fridge. A moment later, he smiles, taking his phone out and dialing a number he knows by heart.

  
_“What’s up, is everything o–“_

  
“My mom’s working a double tonight. Come over for a while if you’re free.”

  
There’s a few seconds of silence, then Mark’s hasty response: _“Yeah, sure, right now?”_

  
“Yeah.” Donghyuck messes with the dinosaur magnets on his fridge, hearing Mark shuffling around on the other end.

  
_“Okay, I’ll be there in a few. Love you.”_

  
“Love you too,” Donghyuck responds, and the call ends. Donghyuck shuffles back to his living room, collapsing onto the couch and hugging a throw pillow.

  
Mark smells like coffee grounds when he arrives, meaning he probably came straight from work. Donghyuck doesn’t mind; it’s not an altogether unpleasant smell, especially when combined with Mark’s cologne.

  
“Hey,” Donghyuck greets Mark with arms around the elder’s neck, tucking his face beneath Mark’s jaw and just enjoying the elder’s warmth. Mark hugs him back, kisses the top of Donghyuck’s head.

  
“Hey, Hyuck. You need to talk about anything?” Mark shuffles them towards the living room. It’s only once they’ve sat down, gotten comfortable cuddled close with each other, that Donghyuck can even try beginning to explain.

  
“It’s the same shit I’m always stressed about. It’s getting old,” mumbles Donghyuck. “School, graduating, college, my future. Fun stuff like that.”

  
“It’s not like there’s a time limit on how long you’re allowed to stress about stuff.” Mark plays with Donghyuck’s hair. “Especially when it’s stuff like this that’s important to you and shit. But, first of all, you’re doing amazing, Hyuck. You’re gonna graduate high school with your diploma on fuckin’ steroids because of all the shit you’re involved in. Colleges are gonna love you.”

  
Donghyuck fights a smile. Mark tilts his chin up so they can look each other in the eye, a grin on the elder’s face. “C’mon, you know it’s true. You had the option to graduate early and you chose to finish your senior year anyways for the extra credits. You’re on the student council, Hyuck, you’re, like, Cornell’s wet dream.”

  
Donghyuck laugh aloud at that, and Mark’s smile brightens. “I’m telling you, you don’t need to worry so much about school, you’ve got that shit in the bag,” he leans in to press a chaste kiss to Donghyuck’s lips, “okay?”

  
“Yeah, okay,” Donghyuck mumbles, taking one of Mark’s hands and playing with his fingers.

  
“Is there anything else you wanna talk about?” Mark queries gently. “I feel like there’s some other stuff you haven’t been telling me, Hyuck.”

  
Donghyuck avoids Mark’s eyes. The elder is right, there’s plenty Donghyuck doesn’t want to spill, but what Jeno told him earlier comes to mind.

  
_“This is like, the bare minimum we’re talking about.”_

  
Finally, Donghyuck sighs. “Yeah. There’s other stuff. I don’t wanna talk about it all right now, but. I’m stressed. Like, all the time.”

  
“Yeah, babe, I picked up on that.” Mark laughs a little, winds his arms just a little more tightly around Donghyuck. “I might not be able to help or give any useful advice but I’ll listen. It’s what I’m here for.”

  
“I feel stupid complaining about all my problems to you. It’s just, like, school stuff, you have real life problems to worry about,” Donghyuck frets, playing with Mark’s hair. Mark snorts, “You’re joking, right? You’re doing all this shit so you can get into an ivy-league school, that’s very much a real life thing to worry about.”

  
“And, believe it or not, I am so fuckin’ proud of you for that.” Mark cradles Donghyuck’s face in his hands, peers into the younger’s eyes. “You’re doing a great job. I know your parents think that all this extra stuff is just what you’re _supposed_ to be doing, which is ridiculous in itself, but you’re doing so well. Your friends are proud of you too, even if they may not say it.”

  
Donghyuck’s eyes water and he casts his gaze downwards, taking a deep breath. “That’s all I needed to hear,” he whispers, laughing a little, “I feel like I can never do well enough for anybody. I disappoint my mom when I’m not trying hard enough. Jeno, and Renjun and Jaemin, I feel like they think I never have enough time to hang out with them or do stuff with them, and I’m disappointing them. And because it’s just the way I am, I don’t tell anyone any of this shit because it sounds so stupid when I say it aloud. I just act like everything’s okay.

  
“That disappoints _you_ , that I keep all this stuff in and don’t tell you. But so many people I’ve told before just said I was being stupid, and like, maybe they were right–“

  
“Hey, breathe,” Mark reminds gently, lifting one hand to gently wipe away the tears now falling freely down Donghyuck’s cheeks. Donghyuck hadn’t even realized his rapid heartbeat, and takes a shaky breath.

  
“Hyuck, can you look at me?” Mark asks gently. Donghyuck opens his eyes, blinking away tears to focus on the elder’s face. The corners of Mark’s mouth quirk upwards in a smile.

  
“There you go, babe. First of all; you aren’t being stupid. Anxiety is a bitch in that you’re convinced you could always be doing better. No one will ever be perfect– I mean, for the record, I think you are completely perfect, Donghyuck, but I digress. You’re not letting anybody down, no one would ever be disappointed in you. Unless you did something, like, totally terrible, which I am positive you’re literally incapable of.”

  
Through his tears, Donghyuck laughs, wipes his eyes. “I don’t deserve you.”

  
“Aw. That’s not true. You could do way better than me, in reality. Come on,” Mark gets to his feet, leading Donghyuck to the bathroom so he can dampen a washcloth with cool water, gently wiping Donghyuck’s cheeks. His face is hot, and the cool cloth feels soothing, especially combined with Mark’s gentle touch.

  
“You feel better now you got that off your chest?” Mark kisses Donghyuck’s forehead. The younger nods, managing a weak smile.

  
“Yeah. Thanks for being the best. Can we ignore the breakdown I just had and binge-watch Jersey Shore?”

  
“I’m always up for that.” Mark grins.

 

 

 

 

“How’s school?”

  
“Terrible. I hate it.” Jeno shoots Jaehyun an Are You Kidding Me look, wiping motor oil off of his hands. The elder laughs.

  
“Figures. You’re almost free, at least. Fuckin’ hated high school too.” Jaehyun ducks beneath the hood of the car once more. “Hand me a wrench. This fuckin’ car gives me gray hairs.”

  
“Tell me about it,” Jeno grumbles, slapping the tool into Jaehyun’s outstretched hand. “How’re you and Taeyong?”

  
“We’re good. Why do you ask?”

  
“No reason.” Jeno shrugs. Jaehyun straightens up to look at him scrutinizingly.

  
“You hate Taeyong and we both know it. So, again, why do you ask?”

  
Jeno narrows his eyes. “I don’t hate Taeyong. I’m just bitter that he hogs my brother. And anyways, how did you know you liked him?”

  
Laughing, Jaehyun resumes working on the car. “God, you’re the worst little brother ever. I don’t know, Taeyong was cool and we’d already made out drunk once, so like..”

  
“Great.” Jeno rolls his eyes. Jaehyun hands his younger brother the wrench back. “I need needle nose pliers. Are you trying to ask someone out?”

  
“No,” Jeno answers, thankful that Jaehyun won’t see his red cheeks when he hands the elder the pliers.

  
“You’re a shitty liar. Who? Girl or boy?”

  
Sighing, Jeno folds his arms and glares down at his lap. “I fuckin’ hate you. Boy.”

  
Jaehyun comes out from beneath the car’s hood. Jeno doesn’t even have to look at Jaehyun to know he’s grinning.

  
“Who?”

  
“Fuck off.” Jeno laughs, standing up and walking away to try and bother Johnny instead.

  
“No, come back here.” Jaehyun grabs Jeno by the scruff of his neck. “I am your brother and therefore obligated to help you with this shit. Who? Do you not wanna tell me because it’s one of your friends?”

  
“Fuck off! How do you know everything?” Jeno knocks Jaehyun’s arm away, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Jaehyun cackles, loping back over to the car they were working on. “Listen. I’m an adult now, I have better shit to do than embarrass you these days.”

  
Following after Jaehyun more slowly, Jeno raises an eyebrow at his brother. “Are you sure about that? You embarrass me by existing.”

  
“Oof,” laughs Taeyong as he passes by, carrying a box of car parts.

  
“Wait, come back here. Jeno could use your romantic prowess.” Jaehyun grins at Taeyong.

  
“Jeno hates me. But sure.” Taeyong sets down the box and leans against the car beside Jaehyun.

  
“Look, he’s not even denying it.” Taeyong elbows Jaehyun, who snorts. “Yeah, I know. Jeno, quit being a dick.”

  
“I have literally said absolutely nothing. Also, it’s Renjun. Happy?” Jeno glowers at both of them.

  
“Aw, the small one? Gimme the wrench again.” Jaehyun leans over the car’s engine again. Jeno resists the faint urge to chuck it at the elder and hands it to him instead. “Yep. That’s him.”

  
“Is he straight?”

  
Jeno nearly laughs. “Uh. _No_. He’s creative director of the GSA at our school.”

  
“Then I’m gonna assume the only reason he’s friends with you is so he doesn’t get his ass kicked,” Jaehyun mutters. Taeyong shoves Jaehyun gently, crinkling his nose.

  
“Not funny. You liked this kid long?” Taeyong asks Jeno. Avoiding the elder’s eyes, Jeno shrugs. “I dunno. I haven’t been sure how I felt about him.”

  
Taeyong hums. Jaehyun hands Jeno the wrench. “I’m giving up on this fucking thing for tonight. I’m never gonna get the grease off my hands if I keep going,” he huffs out, slamming the car’s hood shut. “Let’s go get food and keep talking about Jeno’s homo struggles, this is juicy.”

  
Jeno doesn’t have any smartass retort, because he’s too busy being silently grateful Jaehyun suggested getting food.

 

 

“Sometimes I think he might like me but then maybe I think it’s just him being a good friend and I’m just bad at distinguishing that shit? I don’t know,” Jeno groans, laying his head down on the table. Across from him, Taeyong and Jaehyun share a Look.

  
“Hey. Dumbass. Wake up. He’s probably into you. And doesn’t want to say anything, because he thinks you’re just his cool straight friend and doesn’t wanna ruin that friendship by possibly freaking you out if he tells you he likes you.” Jaehyun ruffles Jeno’s hair. Jeno sits up, glaring at Jaehyun. The effect ends up just being kind of comical, since Jeno doesn’t even bother fixing his hair.

  
“I just want him to ruin it. And I don’t know how to tell him that.”

  
“ _I like you_ is a good start,” Jaehyun comments before their waiter returns with their food, and the conversation is forgotten while everyone eats.

 

 

 

 

Getting followed by the seniors from his third-period study hall as he leaves school to walk home isn’t how Chenle imagined his afternoon going. He prays they just happen to be going the same way as him, but their low murmuring and unpleasant laughter tells Chenle otherwise.

  
It’s something about high school and being different in any way that puts a big red target on your back. Being Chinese, having an accent, and being openly queer? Fuckin’ triple whammy. Chenle might as well literally have a sign reading ‘ _KICK ME_ ’ on his back. Knowing his fate from the very beginning is probably what makes it hurt less when rough hands shove him from behind, and he goes sprawling, just yards from the exit.

  
Hoping he can retain at least a bit of his dignity by saying nothing, Chenle attempts to pick himself up, only to be knocked back down. This time, his chin knocks painfully against the tile floor, and he bites his tongue hard enough to draw blood.

  
“That’s right, pick on some kid half your size, really big and bad of you.” From somewhere behind him, Chenle hears slow clapping. He turns over, sits up to see who spoke.

  
“Who the fuck are you?” The senior that shoved Chenle down scoffs, looking the kid up and down.

  
“Jisung Park, come beat my ass about it.” This Jisung kid looks like he’s maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet, but he just grins and holds his hands out. One of them steps closer and he throws a punch without hesitation. Jisung uses the moment of stunned silence he earns to sprint past the three boys, grabbing Chenle’s sleeve and tugging Chenle out the exit.

  
“I hope you’re not asthmatic, they’re chasing us,” Jisung peers over his shoulder, eyes widening just a bit. Chenle doesn’t dare do the same.

  
“Do you assholes seriously have nothing better to do with your time?” Jisung shouts behind him. “Dude,” he pants in an afterthought to Chenle, “if they catch up to us you just keep running, I’ve been avoiding this ass kicking for a while.”

  
“What? No? You don’t even know me, that’s not fair,” Chenle shakes his head. Jisung laughs.

  
“Consider me the high school martyr. Go on without me and all that shit,” Jisung wheezes out a laugh. They reach the edge of campus, do their best to cross the ridge into town as quickly as possible without breaking anything.

  
“Wait, in here,” Jisung tugs Chenle into the nearest building, which turns out to be a coffee shop.

  
“Okay, I think we lost them.” Jisung leans over, placing his hands on his knees and gasping to catch his breath. Chenle does the reasonable thing and lies down on the floor, wheezing.

  
“Excuse me, can you get off the floor? Not because it’s not allowed, but because these floors never get cleaned and if you get some viral disease you can’t say I didn’t warn you.” The barista calls to them from behind the counter. Groaning like a dying animal, Chenle hauls himself into the nearest chair.

  
“So what’s your issue?” The barista questions dryly. His nametag reads ‘Ten’.

  
“We just got chased by a bunch of literal high school seniors with nothing better to do than bully underclassmen.” Jisung grumbles. Chenle makes a face.

  
“Speak for yourself. I’m a junior.”

  
“Well excuse the _fuck_ out of me. I’m a sophomore, so whatever.” Jisung coughs a few times, still breathing quickly. He raises one hand to inspect the bruising knuckles, humming in mild interest.

  
“Hey, can I get some ice?” Jisung asks Ten, pointing at his knuckles with his other hand.

  
“I guess.”

  
“Thanks for saving me,” Chenle finally says, when his heartbeat has returned to normal, hands wrapped around the mug of warm tea Ten set in front of him. Jisung glances up from the ice pack on his hand, smiling a little.

  
“Yeah, ‘s nothing.” Jisung shrugs one shoulder, flashing his teeth in a grin. Chenle sighs. “Is your hand okay?”

  
“Yeah, it’s not the first time I’ve punched someone.” Jisung takes the ice pack off of his hand, examines his knuckles. “Asshole deserved it, anyways.”

  
“Yeah,” Chenle sighs. “So what’s the catch? I owe you or something now?”

  
“No? I helped you because it was the right thing to do. But since you asked, do you have any idea how to convincingly bullshit an essay on Alexander the Great?”

  
“Easy. Write all about how he was gay. The teacher will either agree or be too scared to give you a bad grade.” Chenle shrugs. Jisung laughs a little, and then stares quite intently down at his hands.

  
“Y’know, your accent’s cute. I like listening to you talk or whatever.” Jisung blushes, pointedly avoiding Chenle’s gaze. Chenle grins.

  
“That’s pretty gay of you.”

  
“ _I’m_ pretty gay, beat my ass about it.”

  
Chenle’s smile widens. “Nah, I’m pretty gay too.”

 

 

 

 

Gym class is bad enough. Sharing their period with underclassmen makes it worse.

  
“I’m literally _not_ doing this.” Jeno ditches his basketball, choosing to lounge on the bleachers instead. Not long after, Donghyuck joins him. They sit in silence, observing their classmates until the gym teacher approaches to question why the two boys aren’t participating.

  
“I’ve taken this unit four years in a row. I know how basketball works. Can I please just sit here and hate my life in peace?”

  
“If you’re choosing not to participate can do so in the office, Mr. Lee.”

  
“Word, thanks. Kiss my ass. Later, Hyuck.” Jeno salutes, rolling his eyes and stepping down from the bleachers, loping out of the gymnasium. Donghyuck watches Jeno go, sighing quietly as he gets up, returning to the court to avoid the same fate as his friend.

  
Jeno takes a detour to the bathroom on his way to leave; he hadn’t actually planned on going to the office, of course.

  
As he’s washing his hands, three boys enter the bathroom, pulling a fourth with them.

  
“You think you’re free to go because your little shemale friend decided to act brave yesterday?” One of the bathroom doors clatters against the stall wall noisily.

  
“I didn’t even do anything to you–“

  
“Shut the fuck up, slant-eyes.”

  
Jeno shuts the water off, dries his hands. He strolls over to the boys crowded around the bathroom stall, shoving through them easily. “There a problem, boys?”

  
The boy that appears to be leading the group scoffs, forgetting his target–some transfer student Jeno remembers meeting in their health class the previous semester–momentarily. “It’s none of your business. Get lost.”

  
“Why don’t you? Are you seriously about to dunk some kid’s head in a toilet? This isn’t fucking Glee.” Losing his final shred of patience, Jeno shoves the guy backwards.

  
“You’ve got a lot of guts, trying to scrap three-on-one right now.”

  
Jeno chuckles. “You’ve got no fuckin’ balls if you need your friends to help you fight. I’m not in the mood to scrap but I will be in a minute if you don’t get the fuck out of here.”

  
To Jeno’s surprise–he was already preparing himself for a fight, one hand curled into a fist–the boy moves past him, budding shoulders. His friends follow, and Jeno stares them down coldly, shoving his hands into his pockets. After the bathroom door shuts behind them, Jeno relaxes.

  
“What’s your name?” he asks the boy still sprawled on the floor, offering out a hand to help him up. He takes Jeno’s hand, answering in a quiet tone, “Chenle.”

  
“I’m Jeno. They bother you often?” Jeno pulls Chenle to his feet. Chenle avoids Jeno’s eyes, shrugging.

  
“Listen. They don’t scare me. So, do they bother you often?” Jeno repeats, crossing his arms. Chenle sighs.

  
“Yeah. They do,” he answers in a mumble, staring down at the floor.

  
“We have Anatomy together, right?” Jeno tilts his head to one side. Daring a glance at the elder, Chenle nods his head. Jeno snorts.

  
“I’m not gonna bite, kid. But you know where to find me if they keep causing problems for you or any of your friends, okay?”

  
“Thanks,” Chenle whispers. Jeno offers a half-smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, no problem. Uh, get to class or whatever. See you around.”

 

 

 

 

“Have you guys heard from Jeno since he left earlier? He got kicked out of gym and told me he was just dipping, hasn’t answered my texts since.” Donghyuck meets Jaemin and Renjun as they’re heading to their study hall. Renjun shares a look with Jaemin, brows furrowing slightly.

  
“Nah, he hasn’t talked to either of us since earlier. I’m up to skip and check on him, though.” Jaemin adjusts his backpack on his shoulders. Donghyuck holds his books a little more tightly to his chest, nodding.

  
“Would you? Maybe I’m just being anxious, but–“

  
“Don’t worry about it, Hyuck, he’s our friend too. We get it,” Renjun reassures. The bell rings, and Donghyuck chews on his lower lip. “I gotta get to Physics. Let me know what’s up, okay?”

  
Jaemin nods distractedly, following Renjun out of the school. Renjun’s already dialing Jeno’s number, putting the call on speaker. It rings for so long they both fear it’s going to go to voicemail, but then, finally, Jeno picks up.

  
_“What’s up?”_ There’s something off about Jeno’s tone. Maybe Jaemin’s being paranoid. It could be the way Renjun’s phone speaker distorts Jeno’s voice, maybe he’d just woken up when they called. Either way, Renjun responds, clueless to Jaemin’s worries.

  
“Hey. We’re ditching, Donghyuck told us you went ghost after gym.”

  
_“Donghyuck always assumes the worst. I went home and slept. I’m not in the mood to hang out, sorry. Maybe this weekend,”_ Jeno answers shortly. Renjun and Jaemin look at each other, perplexed expressions mirroring one another.

  
“Sure, okay. You good?” Jaemin chimes in. Jeno sighs on the other line, and there’s a bit of shuffling.

  
_“Yeah. Just pissed at the world. I’ll talk to you guys later, okay? I gotta go.”_

  
The call ends. Renjun’s confusion has become downright shock. Jaemin’s equally stunned; if Jeno had been behaving oddly before, that was nothing like him.

  
“We’re still going to check on him, right?” Renjun asks Jaemin, tone small. Jaemin nods his head.

 

 

Jeno waits to hear his stepfather’s car pull away from the trailer before he even dares move a muscle. When he finally twitches one hand, Jeno almost regrets doing so; sharp pain shoots up his arm from the wrist. Trying not to move that arm any more, Jeno slowly pushes himself into a sitting position. His head spins, throbbing in the spot where his stepfather knocked it on the edge of the sink. Jeno blinks dancing yellow and red spots out of his vision, teeth clenching.

  
“You’re fine. You’re _fine_ ,” he insists to himself, tasting blood dripping into his mouth. Jeno isn’t even sure if it’s from his nose, a cut somewhere on his face, or his lips. At this point, tears are mixing with it all the same. Getting to his feet is almost too painful; Jeno tries to avoid putting any weight on the ankle he’d twisted by falling over.

  
Of course, now is when there’s a knock on his door. Jeno hardly even hears it the first time, because everything sounds as if his ears have been stuffed with cotton.

  
When Jeno had arrived home, his stepfather had gotten off of work just in time to pick up the school’s phone call home. It was one of far too many, in his stepfather’s opinion. Too many calls home about Jeno’s attitude problems, mouthing off to teachers, getting into fights.

  
Jeno’s head is pounding when he gets to his door. It takes more effort than it should to reach for the knob and open the door. Maybe he should have considered a little more carefully his plan when it came to opening the door, because when Jeno comes face to face with Renjun and Jaemin, they both go pale.

  
“I told you not to come over,” Jeno mumbles, laughing once before a cold feeling washes over him and everything goes black.

 

 

 

 

“Nothing’s broken, at least.” Jaehyun stands up, pacing his living room. “Wipe the fucking blood off your face so I can yell at you properly.”

  
“You’re yelling at _me_? For what?”

  
“What did I tell you when I moved out?” Jaehyun whirls to face his younger brother, neck cording as his voice raises. “That if he kept putting his hands on you to tell me. It’s my job to keep you safe! I can’t do that if you act like everything’s fine!”

  
“What happens if _I_ leave?” Jeno argues. “Who’s left? Mom? I can’t do that-“

  
“Look at yourself!” Jaehyun’s voice cracks and he wrings his hands together. “He needs to be in jail before he kills you or Mom, Jeno.”

  
“Who’s going to believe me?” Jeno finally asks, voice quiet. “Who’s going to take the word of some delinquent over an adult? What if they think I’m just making it up?”

  
Jaehyun’s shoulders slump, and he stops to look at Jeno for a moment before finally sitting down on his couch beside the younger.

  
“I believe you, okay? Everyone here does.” Jaehyun murmurs, wrapping one arm around Jeno. Closing his eyes, Jeno leans his head on Jaehyun’s shoulder.

 

 

 

 

“Jaehyun doesn’t have space at his current place. Nor does he have money for a bigger place,” Jeno sighs out, tracing his finger over the fake wood grain in his desk. As he copies Jeno’s anatomy homework, Jaemin scoots a little closer to the elder.

  
“What about family members?”

  
“My mom doesn’t talk to her side of the family. We’ve pretty much been estranged from my dad’s side since he died.” Jeno messes with the brace on his sprained wrist. Jaemin freezes momentarily, because it’s the first time Jeno’s mentioned his father, let alone so casually in a conversation.

  
“How old were you when he died?” Jaemin blurts out before quite literally pinching himself for putting his foot in his mouth so disastrously. Take two friends, multiply by six years of friendship, subtract secrets about a dead dad and abusive stepfather, and add a poorly-timed invasive question, and what do you get? Jaemin’s about to find out. 

  
“Ten. It was the first time I’d seen Jaehyun cry in a really long while, when the doorbell rang and they gave us his stuff. Jaehyun actually used to wear these,” Jeno takes the dog tags out from under his shirt. “He gave them to me when I started my freshman year.”

  
“I’m sorry,” Jaemin mumbles, doodling a spiral on the corner of his paper so he doesn’t have to look at Jeno. Jeno tucks his necklace beneath his shirt once more.

  
“It’s alright, I guess. People die all the time or whatever, y’know. I’ve learned to deal,” Jeno dismisses. Jaemin thinks his best friend has a serious problem with admitting his own pain, to himself and everyone around him.

  
“You can stay with me. You know there’s plenty of space,” Jaemin offers, daring a glance at Jeno. Jeno’s response is lost.

  
“Can we work with you guys?”

  
Jaemin and Jeno both look up. Jeno recognizes Chenle and grins lazily. Behind him is a kid with long black hair tucked beneath a beanie, thin frame draped in a too-large sweater and black jeans.

  
“Yeah, sure. You have any clue what any of this means?”

  
“It’s anatomy, it’s not that hard,” mutters Chenle as he pulls out a chair, letting his friend sit down first. “This is Jisung, by the way. He’s cool.”

  
“Hi,” Jeno and Jaemin greet simultaneously. Jeno pushes his worksheet towards Chenle. “Chenle. I’m fucking stupid and also suffering from a _very_ serious affliction called senioritis.”

  
Surveying the paper, Chenle scribbles out an answer and rewrites it. “I can tell. This is called the maxilla, not the fuckin’ upper mandible.”

  
“Are you _kidding_? I’ve been copying all your fucking answers!” Jaemin elbows Jeno, who throws his head back and laughs.

  
“That’s your fault, you know full well I’m an idiot. Yo, Chenle, you and Jisung up for a party? This weekend.” Jeno leans back in his chair. Jaemin makes an affronted noise.

  
“Who said you could invite people to the party _I’m_ hosting?”

  
“Said me, because I convinced Jaehyun to get us hard liquor for your damn party,” Jeno retorts. Chenle and Jisung look at each other, expressions similarly questioning.

  
“Where is this party?” Jisung leans in, tilting his head to the side. Jaemin examines his nails. “My house is in the Hills, on the edge of town.”

  
“No shit, where all the rich people live?”

  
“That would be it. My parents are out of town. So are you in?” Jaemin glances over at Jeno, who’s fixing his answers according to what Chenle’s written on his own worksheet. Jisung nudges Chenle, who shrugs.

  
“Yeah, sure,” Chenle answers. “Who all is gonna be there?”

  
“Cool people, don’t worry.” Jeno grins.

 

 

 

 

“Jesus Christ,” Mark marvels, peering around. Donghyuck laughs. “Tell me about it. I don’t know how Jaemin doesn’t lose his shit living virtually alone here.”

  
“Welcome, pussies.” Jaemin greets them with a glum expression, two red solo cups in hand. He hands them to Mark and Donghyuck; Mark sniffs the cup’s contents suspiciously, while Donghyuck tosses the drink back with no inhibition.

  
“What’s got you all pouty?” Donghyuck asks Jaemin, ignoring the wide-eyed look Mark is giving him. Jaemin grabs both boys by the collars, pulling them towards his kitchen.

  
“Is Jeno into fucking Kim Yeri?” Jaemin grabs a bottle of Fireball from the freezer, pouring a significant amount into his cup and downing half.

  
“Wow. We went from you not even admitting you’re big gay for Jeno to you being jealous of him and Kim Yeri? Also, she’s a lesbian. I think you’re just so used to Jeno being an asshole all the time that seeing him actually being personable and nice to people comes off as flirty.” Donghyuck fills his empty cup with water from the tap, sipping it thoughtfully.

  
“I graduated with Yeri, she’d literally lick the bottom of my shoe before touching a boy. Also, last I heard she’s got a girlfriend that’s like eight years older than her and got away with murdering a pizza guy,” Mark mumbles absentmindedly, looking at his phone screen. Jaemin squints at the elder in confusion for a moment before resuming his conversation with Donghyuck.

  
“Anyways. I literally planned this whole thing as an excuse to get everyone really wasted and tell Jeno I like him when he definitely will not remember in the morning.” Jaemin sips his own drink.

  
“Kinda counterproductive, don’t you think?”

  
“What? It’s not like he’d ever _actually_ date me. I just wanna get it off my chest. While completely zooted.” Jaemin grins, raising his cup in a ‘ _cheers_ ’ salute before leaving the kitchen. Donghyuck and Mark look at each other.

  
“I don’t even know. Don’t ask me.” Donghyuck shakes his head. Mark nods. “I figured. At least we get to see this one play out together.”

  
“Get your gay asses out here, Jungwoo’s making us play Truth or Dare so someone will dare him to make out with Doyoung.” Lucas leans into the kitchen. Mark and Donghyuck follow him back to the living room. The furniture has been moved out of the way for everyone to sit in a circle on the floor; taking in everyone there, Mark recognizes a few faces beyond Jaemin, Jeno, Renjun, and Yeri. Most of them, he went to school with. Jungwoo and Doyoung both offer smiles of recognition when they see Mark, and Lucas, who Mark had spent a significant part of his senior year skipping Stats with, beams at him cheerfully.

  
“How the fuck are you twelve year olds friends with actual cool people?” Mark takes a seat between Lucas and Donghyuck, putting an arm around the latter’s shoulders.

  
“I dunno, we must be doing something right though, because you’re still not friends with any cool people other than us,” Jeno deadpans. “But actually, I can thank Jaehyun for this. He’s the reason I have friends that aren’t complete losers.”

  
As Jeno gets up to change the music, he glances over his shoulder at the pair seated between Renjun and Yeri. Jeno grins at them, “Well, except for you two.”

  
“Just because I’m small doesn’t mean I can’t fight you,” threatens the smaller of the two boys, glaring. Jeno laughs. “Let’s scrap then, Park.”

  
“Save the fighting for later. I wanna make out with Doyoung.” Jungwoo sips his drink. Beside him, Doyoung rolls his eyes. “We’re dating. You can just ask.”

  
Jungwoo pretends not to hear Doyoung and continues sipping his drink.

 

 

A few rounds of Truth or Dare have passed, rather eventfully. Somehow, Yeri’s counting a stack of bills, and Lucas is groaning about how that was his cash to taxi home. Donghyuck, cheeks a little pink as he gets tipsier, on his third drink of the night, has claimed Mark’s beanie, and it sits just a little crookedly on top of his hair. Mark allows himself a smile and pulls Donghyuck closer.

  
“Alright, bitch. Truth or dare?” Chenle challenges Jeno. Quirking one eyebrow slightly, Jeno takes a gulp of his drink.

  
“Fuck you. Truth.”

  
Chenle’s face falls and he huffs indignantly. “ _Pussy_. I had a good dare. Jisung, you’re better at embarrassing people with overly personal questions, help.”

  
Grinning, Jisung makes eye contact with Jeno. Jeno holds it calmly, unfazed. Jisung twiddles his fingers together.

  
“Alright, if you’ve _clearly_ got nothing to hide, smash or pass? All people in this room. No bullshitting.”

  
A hush falls over everyone for a minute. Jeno peers around, clearly contemplating his answer. Everyone waits until, finally, Jeno stands, stretching both arms above his head. Circling around the group as if they’re playing Duck Duck Goose, starting at Chenle, Jeno taps every friend gently on the shoulder, mumbling, “Pass,” with each person. Mark’s curious if the answer is even going to change, until Jeno passes him and Donghyuck, bringing him back to Jaemin and Renjun.

  
“Smash, and fuckin’ smash. Now excuse me, I have to puke,” Jeno concludes calmly, his hands resting on Jaemin and Renjun’s shoulders for just a moment longer before he lopes down the hall, making a vague retching noise before he even reaches the bathroom.

  
“I think we should probably go after him,” Renjun mumbles to Jaemin, who claps his hands together.

  
“Yeah, uh...huh. This is a turn of events I..didn’t anticipate.” Jaemin stands slowly, helping Renjun to his feet as well. “Well, if we don’t see you guys again tonight, peace, it was lit, had fun, thanks for coming, please don’t leave until you throw away one piece of trash or whatever.”

  
“Aw, young love. Be safe!” Doyoung calls after them as Jaemin, hand still loosely linked with Renjun’s, wanders after Jeno.

  
“You okay?” Jaemin knocks on the door. From inside the bathroom, Jeno groans, so Jaemin assumes it’s safe enough to enter.

  
“That’s not how I imagined telling you guys– I didn’t– I drank way too much,” Jeno groans into the toilet bowl. Jaemin snorts.

  
“Want some water?” Renjun offers his cup to Jeno, who takes a sip and subsequently makes a low, pained shrieking noise.

  
“That’s _vodka_ ,” Jeno sputters. Renjun snickers.

  
“My bad,” he apologizes dryly, emptying the cup and refilling it with water from the bathroom sink. Jeno just grunts.

  
“I have a question.” Jaemin pushes Jeno’s hair off of his face.

  
“I want to die badly enough.”

  
“Okay, but which one of us would you smash and which one of us would you _fuckin’_ smash? Was it there for emphasis? I wanna know.”

  
“Jaemin. Now is not the time. There won’t even be any smashing tonight.”

  
Snickering, Jaemin shares a look with Renjun, who offers Jeno small sips of water.

 

 

 

 

“Fucking lucky. You’re all done,” grumbles Chenle, his hand linked with Jisung’s. Jeno adjusts his cap, looks at Jaemin. “Do I look dumb?”

  
Jaemin blinks. “Always. But your cap and gown look fine, yeah.”

  
“Rude. Anyways, you two only have a year left. No one’s gonna fuck with you anymore knowing you’re friends with us,” Jeno reassures Chenle and Jisung, clapping a hand on the former’s shoulder. “If anyone does cause trouble just start a fight. You know how it goes.”

  
“Yeah,” Chenle snorts. “Punching first and talking later wasn’t something _you_ taught me.”

  
Jisung gives his hand a little squeeze.

  
Graduation passes. There are no parents to cheer Jeno on when his name is called and he walks across the stage, but after the ruckus that Jaehyun, Taeyong, Mark, Johnny, and Ten make for a solid minute and a half for him, maybe Jeno would have preferred the silence. (That’s a lie. The cheers are great.)

  
“Congrats, distinguished graduate. I see you’ve got your diploma. It just so happens that I also have my diploma.” Renjun finds Jeno in the chaos of students greeting families when it’s all over. The others will find them soon enough.

  
“What, this old thing? I’ve always had this.” Jeno rolls up the paper diploma so he can gently whack Renjun on the head with it.

  
“Only you would use your literal certificate of graduation as a weapon,” Renjun mutters, shaking his head and leaning in for a kiss. Jeno pulls him closer.

  
“The fuck else is it good for?” Jeno mumbles, pressing more fond kisses to the corner of Renjun’s mouth, his cheeks, his nose, until Taeyong finally finds them.

  
“I’m gonna tell Jaemin you guys are cheating on him,” Taeyong jokes as they rejoin the group.

  
“I’m gonna tell Jaehyun he’s dating the lady gremlin,” Jeno shoots back right as they come within earshot of the others. Mark conceals his laughter, poorly, and Jaehyun downright cackles.

 

 

 

 

“Everything okay?”

  
For the past few days, Donghyuck has been quiet. Not quite himself. Even now, Mark only spoke because for the past five minutes, Donghyuck has been staring out the window silently, chewing on the inside of his cheek; a habit he only picks up when he’s worrying about something.

  
“Just school ‘n stuff. I’m gonna be really far from you all, since I got into Cornell and all.” Donghyuck shrugs his shoulders. “The idea of making new friends is just..scary, I guess. I don’t want any friends other than the ones I have.”

  
Mark’s heart sinks a little. Even he had been avoiding the thought of Donghyuck leaving for college eventually, no matter how inevitable. Now, there’s no more beating around the bush.

  
“Just because you’ll leave doesn’t mean you’ll lose everyone,” Mark reassures gently, sitting down across from Donghyuck. “Honestly, I’m trying to figure out what exactly to say that’ll help, because I don’t want you to go either.”

  
“I don’t want us to be one of those couples that falls apart as soon as one of us goes to college,” whispers Donghyuck, taking Mark’s hands and playing with his fingers gently. “I love you too much for that.”

  
“And I love _you_ too much to let that happen if I can help it, babe,” Mark tilts Donghyuck’s chin up and leans in to give him a gentle kiss. “Okay? We’ll still talk, right? I know it’s not the same, but it’s better than nothing. We can visit each other too, yeah?”

  
Donghyuck nods, leans in to kiss Mark again. “Promise?”

  
“Yeah, ‘course,” Mark breathes, taking one of Donghyuck’s hands and squeezing gently. “Promise.”

 

 

 

_ten months later_

 

“Should I skip my evening classes?” Jaemin crinkles his nose, seemingly in deep contemplation over this.

  
“Yes,” answer Mark, Sicheng, and Ten in unison. They all look at each other, then Mark goes back to making a latte. “I skipped my third morning lecture in a row today. I may as well be burning my tuition money, but whatever. I’m going to college for the experience, not learning shit.”

  
“College is useless. Skip,” Sicheng advises. The bell over the coffee shop’s door rings, and Renjun walks in, carrying his backpack. Chenle and Jisung, hair newly cut short, follow.

  
“Look at you!” Ten praises, reaching over the counter to ruffles Jisung’s hair. Jisung can’t even pretend to be annoyed by it, because he’s unable to keep the smile off his face.

  
“Hey,” Renjun, tone noticeably more somber, greets Mark with a small smile. “Hyuck’s flight got cancelled ‘cos of the weather. He’s trying to book the next soonest one. ‘m sorry, Mark.”

  
Mark nods slowly, setting down his latte. Now, even the little kitten he’d created in the foam isn’t enough to cheer him up.

  
“You’ll see him,” Renjun tries to reassure. Mark nods again. He’s grateful when Renjun leaves him alone, goes to say hello to Jaemin.

  
“Aw, Mark,” Sicheng comes over, wraps an arm around Mark’s shoulders and squeezes him gently. “Don’t be sad. You’ll get to see him soon.”

  
“Probably not,” Mark answers glumly. Sicheng blinks at him in that weird soulless robotic way and goes back to wiping down the espresso machine. Jeno’s car pulls up outside; Mark can hear his music blasting even from inside the building. Not in the mood to do much more than sulk and avoid everyone, Mark sticks his earbuds in and goes to the back to pretend he’s organizing the cans of coffee beans.

  
Mark doesn’t hide out for long before someone plucks one of his earbuds from his ear. Mark’s about to ask who in their _goddamn right mind_ would _dare_ , but he turns and stares right into Donghyuck’s grinning face.

  
“Avoiding me?” Donghyuck teases, pulling Mark in for a kiss.

  
“I told you you’d see him.” Sicheng throws an ice cube at Mark as he rejoins everyone else, hand in hand with Donghyuck. Jeno grins at him, clearly proud of their cheesy prank.

  
“Shut up. You guys are all corny motherfuckers.” Mark sits down huffily, gently hitting his head against the table. At least Donghyuck’s holding his hand this time.

**Author's Note:**

> ......this was Terrible


End file.
